The intersection of Sports & Islam

Former college wrestler converts to Islam

From elite professionals to mediocre high schoolers, many athletes have a hard time finding inner peace and a sense of self once they can no longer play their sport at the level to which they’ve become accustomed.

Some carry around unresolved anger. Some turn to drugs and alcohol. In the worst-case scenarios, some have even taken their own lives after being stripped of the power and privilege that comes with being an accomplished athlete.

In the video below, a former high school state champion and collegiate wrestler named Ismail shares his story about how, in the midst of despair over the premature end of his wrestling career, he found Islam and embraced the religion of peace: